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Review · Researched, not tested
Vector robot review (2026): a charming desk robot with strings attached
Vector is the small AI robot that first launched in 2018: it drives around your desk, recognises faces, answers questions and takes itself back to its charger. The company behind it has changed hands and names since, and in 2026 its voice features need a paid subscription. We haven't used Vector ourselves; this review draws on Anki's product pages, independent reviews and company records. Checked 31 October 2026.
By Domestic Robot · Editor: Christian Ganaban · Updated 31 October 2026
Quick answer
Vector 2.0 is still for sale and still charming, but it's hard to recommend to most Australians in 2026. Anki's own store listed a new black Vector at US$249.99 (open-box from US$189.99) on 31 October 2026, and voice commands now need a subscription of US$11.99 a month or US$99.99 a year after a 28-day free trial. Without it, Vector still moves, emotes and recognises you, but won't answer. The store doesn't say whether it ships to Australia or what that costs, and we couldn't confirm a new Vector on sale from an Australian retailer. The company behind it, Digital Dream Labs, was sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General in 2024 over unfilled orders and refunds. If you want a similar robot with local support, look at Loona or the picks in our companion robots guide.
Price and availability in Australia
| Where | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anki (anki.bot) | US$249.99 new (black); open box from US$189.99 | Ships from the US; Australia is in the store's country menu, but shipping cost, GST and transit time aren't stated. Checked 31 Oct 2026 |
| Amazon AU | Not checked this time | On 14 Oct 2026 we saw a Vector listing at $402.23; on 29 Oct we found no in-stock Vector robot, only accessories |
| eBay AU | Used and new-in-box listings | Private and overseas sellers; check the seller and whether the robot has been unlinked from the old owner's account |
US$ prices exclude shipping, GST and any import costs. Anki's store says red, pink and blue new units were sold out on our check date. Buying from an overseas store makes warranty claims and returns harder; the Australian Consumer Law applies when you buy from an Australian business.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
- Buy it if you're an adult or older child who loves gadgets and wants a desk companion with personality, and you're happy to pay the subscription.
- Buy it if you like tinkering: community-run software lets technical owners run Vector without the official service.
- Skip it if you want a toy for a young child; Vector is small, light and lives on a table top.
- Skip it if you need local warranty support or easy returns.
- Skip it if you don't want another subscription; without one, Vector won't respond to voice commands.
What Vector does
| Feature | Vector 2.0 |
|---|---|
| Size and weight | About 102 x 64 x 71 mm and 180 g (Anton Robots, from the spec sheet) |
| Camera | 2 MP (Vector 2.0), for face recognition |
| Voice | “Hey Vector” wake word; answers questions and sets timers; AI chat on the subscription |
| Moves | Drives on treads, raises and lowers its lift arm, returns to its charger by itself |
| Safety sensors | Four downward cliff sensors to avoid falling off tables |
| Battery | 600 mAh, replaceable at home (US$19.99); Anki claims up to 30% longer runtime than the original |
| Wi-Fi | Needs a 2.4 GHz network |
From Anki's product page (checked 31 October 2026), Digital Dream Labs' 2022 launch details (Robotics 24/7) and Anton Robots' documentation-based review. Anki doesn't state a runtime per charge; Digital Dream Labs said about an hour or more in 2022.
The subscription, explained
Anki's store says plainly that Vector needs a paid subscription for voice commands: US$11.99 a month or US$99.99 a year, with the first 28 days free. Each subscription covers one robot. Without it, Vector still runs its onboard behaviours (moving, expressions, touch reactions and docking) but isn't connected to the Vector cloud, so it won't answer questions or take commands.
Over three years, the yearly plan adds about US$300 to the purchase price, more than the robot itself. That's the biggest difference from the original Vector, which included its cloud service. Technical owners can run community-hosted alternatives such as Wire-Pod, but that takes setup and isn't supported by Anki.
The company behind Vector
Vector was made by Anki, a US start-up that shut down in 2019. Digital Dream Labs bought Anki's assets that December and relaunched Vector as Vector 2.0, with a 2 MP camera and a swappable battery, announcing international shipping in October 2022 at US$399.99 (Robotics 24/7). In September 2024 the Pennsylvania Attorney General sued Digital Dream Labs over widespread failures to fill orders, issue refunds and answer customers. The company has since rebranded back to Anki, and its store, anki.bot, shows ANKI, LLC (Wikipedia).
Vector's cloud service has had outages over the years; Origin of Bots reported in March 2026 that server access had been restored in November 2024. We haven't found an outage report since, but it's the main risk with any robot that depends on one small company's servers.
What reviewers found
When the original Vector launched, Expert Reviews (July 2019) called it smarter and more autonomous than Cozmo, with a better camera and onboard voice recognition, but “still very much a toy”: entertaining and clever, useful only occasionally, and missing smart-speaker features such as Bluetooth music and smart-home control that would justify the price. We found no recent independent hands-on review of Vector 2.0 on the current subscription service, so treat older reviews as a guide to the hardware, not the AI features.
Privacy
Vector has a camera and a microphone array and listens for its wake word. Digital Dream Labs said in 2022 that Vector 2.0 doesn't continuously take photos. Ask Anki where voice recordings and AI chats are processed and stored before you buy, keep it off shared networks if you can, and see our guide to robot cameras and privacy.
Strengths and weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Expressive, pet-like personality on a desk | Voice features need a subscription (US$99.99 a year) |
| Recognises faces and docks itself | Sold from the US; no Australian retailer confirmed |
| Replaceable battery | Company has a troubled record on orders and refunds |
| Community software for tinkerers | No recent independent review of the current service |
Alternatives worth comparing
| Robot | What it is | Price (AUD) | Our coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loona | Rolling robot pet with GPT-4o chat, fetch and a camera | A$620 sale at KEYi; $860.91 on Amazon AU (30 Oct) | Our review and Loona vs Vector |
| Miko 3 | AI learning robot for ages 5 to 10 | $429 (JB Hi-Fi, 29 Oct) | Robot pets for kids |
| Enabot EBO X | Family camera robot you can drive around | $1,399 sale (Enabot AU, 30 Oct) | Our review |
Where to buy
Anki's own store is the only new source we could confirm. Check the shipping cost and any GST at checkout, and read its warranty and refund policies before paying.
Verdict
Vector is still one of the most likeable small robots ever made, and the 2.0 hardware fixes the old camera and battery. But in 2026 you're paying US$249.99 plus shipping to the US, then about US$100 a year to keep it talking, to a company with a poor record on orders and refunds. Tinkerers and Vector fans who know what they're getting will enjoy it. Most Australian families are better served by a robot sold and supported locally, such as Loona, or by the options in our best companion robots guide.
More on cameras, microphones and data in companion robots: our privacy guide.
Common questions
How much is Vector in Australia?
Anki's US store listed a new Vector 2.0 at US$249.99 (open box from US$189.99) on 31 October 2026, before shipping and GST. We couldn't confirm a new Vector at an Australian retailer.
Does Vector need a subscription?
For voice commands, yes: US$11.99 a month or US$99.99 a year, after a 28-day free trial. Without it, Vector still moves and reacts but won't answer.
Is Vector discontinued?
No. Anki's store was selling new Vector 2.0 units on 31 October 2026. The original Anki company closed in 2019; Digital Dream Labs bought its assets and now trades as Anki again.
Does Vector work in Australia?
Anki's store lists Australia in its country menu, and Vector needs a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. Check shipping and the subscription terms for Australia before you buy.
Is Vector good for kids?
It's best for older children and adults. It's a small desk robot, and the AI features depend on a paid subscription.
Sources
- Anki: Vector 2.0 (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Anki: shipping policy (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Robotics 24/7: Digital Dream Labs to ship Vector 2.0 (29 Dec 2022)
- Wikipedia: Anki (company), Digital Dream Labs and the 2024 Pennsylvania lawsuit
- Origin of Bots: Vector server access restored (19 Mar 2026)
- Anton Robots: Vector 2.0 documentation-based review (Sep 2026)
- Expert Reviews: Anki Vector review (17 Jul 2019)
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